Chapter 5: Beast

I couldn't hold in my pain when I shifted this time. Someone killed a fire deity. Really, the pain on its own would've felt like a needle under my nail. But shifting is already painful as it is. So that needle felt like a sword instead. I could smell the blood and in which direction it came from. Those tainted with the fairy's blood will have a hard time getting here. Or anywhere else to be exact.

"Why is it so painful?" Isaac asks as he massages my arm. I stare outside, panting and in a sweaty mess. Shifting is getting harder to do. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to handle this.

"I've made it through eleven years of this. I'll be fine." I mutter. Isaac shakes his head and climbs up onto my back.

"It doesn't matter how strong and powerful you are. You'll eventually become tired and won't be able to handle it anymore. Last thing I need to see is you crying."

"I don't cry." I huff. Isaac smirks.

"If you don't cry then I must be from the Alpha Era."

"There wasn't an Alpha Era." I grumble.

"Exactly." Isaac says victoriously.

"Damn kid." Isaac laughs and hugs my neck. After a few minutes, he falls asleep. I stare off into the distance and check for any immediate threats. The faint smell of the dead fairy still lingers in the air. I stand carefully and walk deeper into the cave where the children sleep. Carefully, I dump Isaac into his bed and left quickly.

I pause in the kitchen and sniff the air. Why's the smell stronger here? Growling quietly and I take in my surroundings. The kitchen glows red from the dying embers from the fire place in the stove. The shadows of the chairs, table, and all the other stuff in the kitchen have menacing shadows that loom over me.

Is it the dying fire? I sniff again. No. The stench of a dead fire element is a mix of iron and smoke. Huffing, I head back to the entrance. I flop down and stare out over the village. They're coming here. That's why the smell's getting stronger. Morons! Are they wanting to commit suicide?

Hold on a min— I sniff the air and take in every detail. Fire element fairy killed by a human. Both the human and a cousin of the fairy have it's blood on their hands. My ears twitch at a third detail. There's a third witness. Their heart beats innocent while the other two don't.

Could it be the prince and his babysitters? Big chance. If that's the case, which one didn't take participation? I flop down with a sigh. The cousin will be easy to pick out. The other will have the smell of the fairy on him. Humans must be forgetting the laws of nature. And families are becoming their own demise and enemy.

Shifting back to normal isn't as painful as I thought it was going to be. Yes, it still hurt. Yes, I was still naked. But I'm fine and didn't feel like crying. The process was so short that I took it as an opportunity to go bathe at a nearby waterfall. The water's cold and could kill a human, but it helps to relax my muscles. We're gonna have fog this morning.

The daily routine starts as soon as I return. This time, rather than going hunting, I send out the hunters to watch over the village. They'll have to do this for a while. At least until the prince and his babysitters come and go.

"Beast!" I look up from my scrolls as Reuben comes up towards me. He didn't arrive at the cave this morning. Helga sits beside me, still looking through the scrolls. Reuben waves his arms in a wild panic and crashes against our table.

"Reuben! What's wrong?" Helga asks in a more annoyed tone than worried. Reuben takes a couple of deep breaths.

"I smelt it! They're coming closer, Beast! Two are responsible for killing a fire element while the third—Beast, we must hide you before they arrive tomorrow or tonight!"

"Why hide me now? I'm the head of the orphanage. Just keep it at that. We'll misguide them and punish those two fools." I answer calmly.

"There's more." Suddenly, I find myself looking at the man. Reuben swallows nervously.

"Ground where you killed that monster. The grass is dead and the dirt the color of ash. It could spread." I stand angrily, toppling my stool in the process.

"The priests were supposed to take care of it!" I growls as I storm off to the church. Helga and Reuben yell after me. I ignore them and storm into the church. I freeze as soon as I throw the doors open. It's cold. So cold I can see my breath. Why isn't the hearth lit?

Cautiously, I step in. The church is built to resemble a Catholic church from all the way to the twenty-first century. This church was founded not specifically to worship. More like to gather up and do what's best for the community from our history. I walk down the aisle, checking for any indication of life. I pass the altar and throw the door at the very side and front of the church.

I freeze and fall onto my knees at the sight. Days old blood paints the walls, floors, and any furniture near the ten bodies. Their entrails spill out onto the floor. Maggots have already started to appear despite the length of time not being that much. The bodies have been torn open.

"Beast!" Reuben stops behind me and nearly vomits his life away. I reach forward, placing my middle and pointer fingers on a small puddle of mostly dried up blood. Fire spreads at my command. I stand and turn towards Reuben.

"Gather everyone." I mutter. When Reuben doesn't respond immediately, I yell: "Go!"

They weren't the only ones dead. Two hunters have been found dead. I had to heal the corrupted area. Something's wrong. I have no idea how this is possible or how to deal with it. Could it be that the village is going to become a ghost town?

"Beast." I turn. Helga looks around nervously. "The prince and his companions are going to arrive by sunset." She hands me a letter. I open it and read it. I crumble it and burn it in my hand.

"Clear a house to hospitalize them. Assign two servants to do their bidding. And have one of the hunters watch them for me." Helga nods and leaves. Reuben trembles like a leaf next to me.

"What, Reuben?"

"You're...not exactly...presentable. You look more like a warrior than...you know." I sigh.

"Get some clothes ready." With that, Reuben scrambles off. This is going to be hell.